This is unrelated to PCalc, but regarding the device screenshot in the post -- why is just about every device I see a screenshot of that's connected to AT&T's network using the AT&T Microcell? Is AT&T's coverage still *that* bad or do people just continue to use the microcells for the heck of it?
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Apple Reverses Course on iOS 8 Notification Center Calculators
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What guidelines? There's nothing in the guidelines that state "widgets cannot perform calculators".
Apple is just covering their ass from being called control freaks.
Well, both the device at the dollar store and a HP49 are calculators. Yet, the second is worth its price if you really need a calculator...
PCalc does RPN notation, the stock calculator does not. That in itself is worth the $10...
Exactly what I thought when I read about this app. LAUNCHER is a great app/widget to launch such things as apps & shortcuts from the notification centre. I downloaded it within a day or 2 of it being released on the AppStore and was very impressed with its purpose and ease of use. And so I was hugely disappointed when Apple pulled it - not only was it no longer available to others, but I was really interested to see how LAUNCHER was going to evolve, add new functionality, and so on.
Hoping Apple changes its mind on this one too. Bring back LAUNCHER!
It's interesting that the dev guidelines say you shouldn't go out there and trash Apple - it won't help your case. In this situation, I suspect it did help. Ok he only tweeted out, but he knows tech writers and bloggers follow him - and he certainly presented the nonsensical aspects of the case that was reported by numerous sites later that day.
The problem for Apple was they were specifically promoting the feature they were suddenly demanding he remove. That's what made this such a difficult situation for them. So you have sales they have to refund, the media storm and twitterati, and also you've been telling people about this cool new function in notifications - and then suddenly you now have to tell these people actually it's not cool and it will be blocked/removed.
I think they simply had to act swiftly to put this fire out today, and they have done so decisively.
Lesson to learn here: before editorial starts featuring cool new technology in the app store, run it by your second-level reviewers first to make sure that technology isn't violating terms of service.
There is no stock calculator widget in iOS. They only included one in Yosemite.
I'm glad Apple changed its (their) mind(s)...
...and I sent emails to the PCalc developer to that effect. Yes, maybe I could do without the widget. But when Apple threatened to withdraw the whole app unless the widget got trashed, I thought that was entirely out of bounds. On MacOS, my iPad, and my iPhone, PCalc was the very first app I searched for and bought. (It's analog to my still-running Radio Shack EC-4075 Programmer's Calculator.) Used daily during web design. Surprisingly for a small app, I can't praise PCalc enough. I hope Apple keeps a cool head about it.
...and I sent emails to the PCalc developer to that effect. Yes, maybe I could do without the widget. But when Apple threatened to withdraw the whole app unless the widget got trashed, I thought that was entirely out of bounds. On MacOS, my iPad, and my iPhone, PCalc was the very first app I searched for and bought. (It's analog to my still-running Radio Shack EC-4075 Programmer's Calculator.) Used daily during web design. Surprisingly for a small app, I can't praise PCalc enough. I hope Apple keeps a cool head about it.
Breathe The guidelines that keep evolving, especially those relating to new features/functionalities. None of this is new or surprising as this sort of thing has been going on since the early days of iOS.
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Are you new to iOS and/or have some sort of misconceptions about it? This is how it's pretty much always been, and if anything it's more open now than before (although, sure, not completely open, but no one was really expecting that).
Sure. How about you go to work for free too.
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The widget is a freebie that comes along with a fully-fledged calculator app. If you don't need the calculator or its features, then $10 would be a waste.
Even if it was pulled from the App Store you wouldn't lose what you already have installed.
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All I saw was a comment that stated it didn't even relate to the actual discussion at hand. no thanks.
He wouldn't have pulled it, it would have gotten updated to meet with Apple's guidelines.
Most likely. But I'm saying if the app got pulled (like let's say Launcher did) then it doesn't mean those who have it suddenly lose it. And even if it does get updated where the widget is removed let's say, then those who have it can not update it and keep what they had as well.
You don't pay $10 for the PCalc widget, you pay $10 for what the full app can do, the widget is just icing on the cake. The full app as well as the widget can be used in RPN mode, which is one of the things that when you are used to it can really trip you up if you don't have it.
And as already said, if you use the CC calculator you need to double press the home button and tap on the 'card' of the app you had been using before, whereas with the NC calculator, you just have to swipe up.
Honestly I hope the media coverage was a big factor in this turn of events. Why? Simple, because this is one functionality that I could certainly make use of. Further I suspect many other users will find a calculator that is always a swipe away a very useful feature. In my case it is a functionality that I've been waiting for.
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I suspect Apple didn't at first grasp just how useful a mini app that is a swipe away can be.
Not that likely that media coverage played much a role in this case, more just Apple refining/evolving various decisions and regulations related to a new feature/functionality.
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You can find out some more about it from various replies in this thread.
